SEVENTEEN years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson played five youngsters in the Premier League. Here he looked at an Aston Villa side with seven players under 23 and told Paul Lambert he might just have a mine full of gold.

Villa lost to United, they always do – something Ladbrokes, who took a £1 million hit on United’s comeback from two goals down, should have researched.

But Ferguson was impressed.

“I just spoke to him,” said Villa boss Lambert.

“He has done that to other teams and managers – come back and won. But Sir Alex was really complimentary. If anyone can spot players, it’s him.

“The big thing was we worked our backsides off to give a performance and he said, ‘That’s what you get if you put the effort in. You keep playing that way and you’ll win more games than not’.”

David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers all played for United against Villa on the opening day of the 1995-96 season – and lost 3-1.

He has done that to other teams and managers – come back and won

Paul Lambert

Villa have not beaten United at home in the league since.

Beckham became a superstar, Butt and the Nevilles have had superb careers and Scholes, 38 on Friday, is still playing for United and was magnificent here.

Andreas Weimann, a 21-year-old Austrian, put Villa two up in 50 minutes. And if he had completed a hat-trick with a second-half header, United might not have completed another revival.

At a rough guess, only Audley Harrison has had more comebacks than United. Ten times out of 17 games this season they have been behind and fought back to win.

You do not stand over United and start counting them out. Javier Hernandez, with two goals and another he forced in off centre-half Ron Vlaar, broke young Villa hearts.

Robin van Persie also hit the Villa crossbar with a header and a 30-yard drive.

United are clocking up the goals and it made for compulsive viewing. But it does make you wonder if they can keep playing goals roulette.

In the absence of United putting up any player to speak to the written press and Ferguson, as he has been allowed to get away with for years, not talking to the newspapers – all of which paints a poor picture of one of the world’s great clubs – we need to go back to what Wayne Rooney said after the comeback Champions League win last week in Braga: “We need to be more solid as a team and make sure we get the first goal and we can kick on from there.

“Or, if we have the lead, try to hold on to it.”

Basic but true.

United have not drawn a game all season. It is win or bust. Mostly win, but the odd bust like 5-4 at Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, 3-2 at home to Spurs in the league and that 1-0 loss at Everton in the first match of the season. But when United lose on the opening day they go on to win the league, like at Villa in 1995, when Alan ‘You win nothing with kids’ Hansen had to eat his humble pie.

Villa now play the champions Manchester City on Saturday and then those who used to be champions, Arsenal, after that.

There will probably be some satisfaction in defeat from those games, but what they must do is take this level of performance into successive fixtures against Reading, QPR and Stoke – and win. That is where Villa’s immediate future is, bedding down these boys in a big, new world.

“I’m proud of them, what they’ve done, a young team growing up. They’ll take a bit of belief from it,” said Lambert.

“Manchester United are used to that [coming back to win]. I can’t ask for any more from my players for what they’ve given me.

“Playing youngsters is just my way and hopefully it will work. If they keep showing that enthusiasm and hunger for the game, they’ll be fine.

“They had the crowd’s reaction – the crowd’s always your marker, if they get behind you then the club will be fine.

“People thought United would roll us over pretty easily, but we gave it a right good go.”